Conception (The Wellingtons, #4)

by Tessa Teevan

  “Twenty-two for me.”

  For the next few minutes, we go back and forth, and I’m surprised to learn she lives not far from where Clay and Maria go to school in Knoxville. It’s a fact we both gloss over, that I visit the place often to hang out with my brother. I’m not trying to give her any hope that this thing will go beyond the summer by letting her know I’d be within arms’ reach.. I’m relieved that she doesn’t seem to mind, and I know that summer luck has struck me by putting her in my path.

  I look to the side to see the paperback she was reading. Since we have similar tastes in Goldman, I pick it up, whistling when I read the cover.

  “The Gloryhole Killer?” I ask, unable to hide the amusement in my voice. “So this is what had you so engrossed earlier that I was able to sneak up on you? Come on, Amelia. You read enough of these books and you should know better. A beautiful girl alone on a deserted beach in the middle of bumfuck Tennessee? Could be a recipe for disaster.”

  Amelia cranes her neck to look back at me. “For your information, I’m usually very vigilant. And I wasn’t alone. Not until about an hour ago when Sunny, Joe, and Sam went to cool off.”

  I run my thumb along her thigh, enjoying the way she shivers underneath my touch. I can’t wait to discover all her ticklish spots and exploit them, because damn if I don’t want to make this girl squirm. “You didn’t want to go with them?” I ask.

  Amelia shakes her head, her damp hair tickling my nose.

  I brush it out of the way. “Why’s that, Amelia? Were you waiting for me? Hoping I’d find you?”

  “Maybe.” It’s a mumbled whisper, but I hear her loud and clear.

  “I told you I would. I just didn’t know I’d be fighting with some random book for your attention,” I tease. “Let’s see, what’s this one about.”

  She hops up from the spot between my legs and tries taking the book from me.

  I hold it up and away from her while I read the synopsis on the back. “The Gloryhole Killer has struck again. Can Detective Cochran and Dr. Roscoe hunt down the depraved maniac before another hole is violently violated beyond repair?” My composure slips, and when I get to the last line, I howl with laughter. “Holy hell, what is this?”

  With a huff, Amelia takes the book from me then glares while I’m clutching my stomach from laughing so hard. “It’s a pleasure novel!”

  “I’ll say!”

  “Ugh, that’s not what I mean! It’s just a book to read for fun. You can’t always read the classics, you know. Summertime is for beach reading. And I’ll have you know it’s quite compelling. You see, it started out at some small dumpy truck stop outside of in the middle of nowhere. A trucker found one of those cheap glory holes, you know, looking for a good time. Only once he stuck his…umm, thing”—she pauses, a cute blush creeping on her cheeks—“in the hole, someone cut it off. The man passed out from blood loss and was found dead hours later. Detective Cochran thinks the killer used shears, but Dr. Ro disagrees. They bicker back and forth, and it makes the book a bit more lighthearted… Anyways, they thought it was an isolated event until more reports came in, all the same M.O. as the first. A glory hole serial killer. Can you imagine?” she asks, her eyes wide now.

  Fuck no. My cock hurts just thinking about it; not that I’m about to tell Amelia that. Instead, I grimace, shaking my head, fighting the urge to cover my junk. Let’s hope she’s not as bloodthirsty as the villain in her book.

  Oh yeah, without reading the thing, I already know the killer is a woman. Lopping off dicks with gardening tools? That has estrogen written all over it.

  “Oh, Lord, here she goes again,” Sunny quips, causing Amelia to toss her a dirty look. Sunny ignore her and smiles at me before she flings an arm around her best friend’s shoulders. “Amelia here hasn’t met a B-horror movie or book she doesn’t like. The gorier the better. The only thing she loves more is true crime.”

  Amelia shrugs. “It’s true. Even though most nights I can’t sleep after reading or watching something scary, I can’t help myself. It’s an addiction.” The sheepish smile on her face is cute as fuck, especially the way she’s nibbling on her lower lip.

  Upon rising from my place in the sand, I take Amelia’s hand and use my other to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, hoping she knows I’ve just been teasing her. “So…you’re into horror? Scary shit?”

  “So what if I am?”

  I grin down at her. “Then that’s good news for me, ’cause I live for it.”

  Her nose wrinkles, and she gives me the side eye, as if she doesn’t quite believe me. “You do?”

  “Are you kidding? I was seven when Dad let me watch The Brain That Wouldn’t Die. Scared the crap out of me, got Mom angry. Didn’t matter though. I was already hooked.”

  Amelia’s eyes go wide. “That movie is so terrible it’s fantastic! And weirdly romantic in a really twisted kind of way, if you think about it.”

  “I’ve never thought of it that way, but now that you mention, what’s not romantic about a guy going on a killing spree to find a body for his dead girlfriend’s still-living brain?”

  She laughs, in a cute, melodic way that makes me want her more. “For me, it was Attack of the Crab Monsters. I had a crush on Richard Garland for most of my childhood after that.”

  “I don’t know that I’ve see that one.”

  “You can’t claim to love B-horror movies and not have seen Attack of the Crab Monsters. It’s a classic!” she insists.

  “Then I guess we’ll have to watch it together sometime. Though I’m not sure I want to watch you making eyes at Richard Garland the whole time.”

  “That unsure of yourself, are you?” she asks, and I love the fucking challenge she’s presenting.

  I take a couple of steps back and rake my gaze over her body from head to toe. “Oh, I’m sure, all right. I just want to make sure you are, too.”

  That previous pink blush deepens on her cheeks. God, she’s such a contradiction. One second, she seems coyly innocent; the next, she’s rocking hot confidence.

  “Speaking of horror films , I just so happen to know that Friday the Thirteenth is playing at the drive-in tonight,” I tell her, thankful for Clay’s reading of the paper out loud while he was eating breakfast this morning.

  “Uh huh…” she says, and I realize she’s going to make me work for it.

  “I hear it’s a good slasher flick. Has potential. There’s even already buzz that there’s gonna be a sequel. Figure it’s worth checking out. Wouldn’t mind seeing it with a pretty girl with an appreciation for the genre. Especially a girl I’m dying to get to know better.”

  She places a hand on her hip, one eyebrow raised. “Knox, are you trying to ask me on a date?”

  “There’s no trying about it. Or asking. Go out with me. Just me,” I say, looking pointedly at Sunny, whose face splits open in a grin.

  She gets me. Even Joe gets a chuckle out of it, and something tells me he’s going to be doing me some favors by keeping Sunny busy.

  “So, it’s an order?”

  “Babe, movie starts at seven. I’ll pick you up at six so we can grab a bite first.”

  “Wait a minute, if you want to get to know me better, why are we going to the movies?”

  Sunny snickers and Amelia shoots a glare at her before looking back at me.

  I cross the distance between us and use my thumb to lift her chin towards me, giving her a searing kiss. “Scary movie. Gorgeous girl. Bench seats. Where else better to get to know you?”

  Her pretty lips form an O as she gets my drift.

  Not wanting her to think I’m all about her body, I continue. “Plus, like I said, we’re grabbing a bite first. We can do all our talking then.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” she says before taking a step back and yawning. “I should probably get home, rest up. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night.”

  I don’t want to let her go. Not now. Not yet. But with the promise and the desirous expression on
her pretty face, I do just that.

  Joe claps my shoulder as I watch Sunny and Amelia link arms.

  “Dude.”

  It’s just one word, yet I know exactly what he means. I turn to him, a grin on my face. “Yeah.”

  He follows after them, and just as I’m about to turn and head down the lane to my own place, Amelia breaks away and runs across the sand towards me. I barely register what she’s doing until she’s reached me, jumping up, and I catch her in my arms. I nearly stumble backwards as she wraps her legs around my waist, her arms resting on my neck and her hands clutching my face.

  Desperate lips meet mine in a rush, with a hungry urgency that wasn’t there before. This time, it’s Amelia’s turn to plunder, pillaging in the sweetest invasion, with a searching sweep until our tongues collide.

  She’s breathless when she pulls away, her dancing eyes gazing down into mine. Her legs loosen around my waist, and even though I want to hold her in place, I reluctantly relinquish my control of her. The way her slick body slides down mine has me groaning; after this, there’s no way in hell I stand a chance of keeping my hands off her.

  When her feet hit the sand, Amelia’s hands skim down the front of my chest—then even lower, barely grazing my erection but touching just enough to have my cock straining against my already tightened shorts.

  “Fuck, Amelia, what the hell are you doing to me?” I ask.

  “Oh, you know. Just practicing. That way, when the top five happens, you won’t know what hit you.”

  “Thought you weren’t into audiences, babe.”

  Her eyes twinkle with mischief. “Guess there’s a first time for everything.”

  Just like that, she walks away. And fuck me if I don’t stare at that ass the entire time.

  THE ONLY THING KEEPING MY feet moving forward and away from Knox is the heat of his kiss on my lips and the knowledge that there’s likely to be a lot of repeat of that tonight.

  It’s been so long since I’ve been on a first date that I’m not exactly sure what to think. Then again, most first dates come before you’ve already sucked face with the guy, not after. I suppose that lightens the pressure a bit. I’m actually glad to know we won’t have to do the “will he/won’t he kiss me” charade.

  “Girl, you two looked too hot for words!” Sunny exclaims, falling onto my bed, clutching her hands to her heart. She’s practically gushing, which is what I want to do, too. “You made me want to jump Joe right there and we already had sex this afternoon.”

  I sigh, because now that the cat has been let out of the bag that the two of them are a thing, I have a terrible feeling I’m going to know every intimate detail about their relationship before the summer is over. Or, well, knowing Sunny, I’ll know it all by the end of the week. Instead of protesting yet again, I ignore that part.

  “In case you haven’t noticed, there is a heat wave going on,” I tell her, pretending not to be fazed—when I’m so fazed that it’s like I’ve been hit by one of those Star Wars gun thingies. “Sweat happens, you know.”

  She knows me too well and her answering eye roll tells me she doesn’t believe a single iota of my aloofness. “It’s been less than twenty-four hours since you met the guy and he’s already got your knickers all twisted.”

  “My knickers are not twisted. And even if they were, aren’t you the one who encouraged me to pursue him? Aren’t you the one who told me to wear that bathing suit so the guy wouldn’t know what hit him?”

  She grins mischievously, rubbing her fingertips together like some evil mastermind. “The one and only. And it worked brilliantly, just like I said, did it not? Course it kinda worked on you both. Well done, sister. The way you ran after him and leapt on him one last time?” She brings the tips of her thumb and fingers to her lips in a chef’s kiss. “Perfection. I could practically see the drool running down his chin. So, what do you think? Are you going to sleep with him tonight?”

  I gape at her. She’s just lying there on my bed as if she just asked me if I plan on making the guy a ham sandwich. “Like you just said, I haven’t even known the guy for twenty-four hours. I certainly hadn’t planned on mauling him on the beach. Must’ve been the heat.”

  Sunny shrugs and waves my excuse off. “So? You’re attracted to him. He’s obviously wildly into you. Heat, schmeat. You’re two young, unattached…” She pauses. “Wait, do we know he doesn’t have a girlfriend back home?”

  I nod. “He mentioned last night that he recently went through a breakup from a long-term relationship. He also mentioned he wasn’t looking for anything serious.”

  “That’s right. I totally forgot about that. Well, gotta give him props for honesty.”

  “True. Better to know ahead of time it’s just a fling than letting my heart get involved.”

  “Precisely. Plus, you said yourself last night that you weren’t ready to settle down. The way I see it, this is a perfect situation for everyone.”

  She’s right. I know it, deep down I find myself wishing this didn’t have an expiration date before it even begins.

  Which is silly, because yeah, I’ve known the guy for way too short of a time to even be thinking of hitching my wagon to him.

  I push the thought out of my head and smile at her. “Since you did so well with the suit today, how about I give you carte blanche to get me ready for my date tonight?”

  She looks at her watch then back at me before hopping up and clapping her hands. “I have forty-five minutes before I have to be at work.” She points at my hair. “I just need to know if we’re going for ‘screw me senseless in the back seat while a serial killer is on the loose’ or ‘feel free to get a little touchy-feely, but let’s keep the penis away until I’m ready to play’ kind of look.”

  “Sunny, has anyone ever told you that you have such a way with words?” I tease.

  She waves a hand. “Oh, honey, Joe tells me that all the time.”

  I should’ve known better than to ask.

  Sunny’s been gone for twenty minutes, and I’ve paced back and forth through the house the entire time, stopping occasionally to check my look in the mirror. I decided for her to put me somewhere between the two ends of the spectrum she’d so eloquently provided earlier, and as each moment passes, I’m worried the look is less sexy and more in the trying-too-hard category. Sunny assured me repeatedly before she left that it was on point, but I’m just not used to dressing like this in the city.

  Then again, I don’t know that I’ve ever been as attracted to someone as I am Knox, so I’ve never cared to put my assets on display the way they seem to be now. Since I wore my Daisy Dukes yesterday, Sunny insisted I class it up a little and wear a loose summer dress. I’m not sure we have the same definition of class because my boobs feel like they’re practically falling out. But since Knox has already seen the goods, I figured why the hell not? There’s no harm in a little extra cleavage.

  She styled my hair in a loose, low-lying side ponytail with one small braid going from the top of my head down behind my ear. It’s kind of bohemian chic, and I like it more than I thought I would. A bit of summer sun was all the bronzer I needed, so I added some mascara, color to my lips, and gold hoops. I wanted to wear gold bangles on my wrist, but Sunny nixed those in case of “stick-shift activities” as she called them.

  I’m rubbing my teeth to ensure the red lipstick I’m wearing hasn’t managed to get on them when a loud knock sounds at the door. Nerves coil low in my belly, tightening and swirling into knots. I can’t remember the last time I felt this way. If I’ve ever felt this way.

  With one last glance in the mirror, I cross to the door. My breath releases in a loud whoosh at the sight of Knox and just how close he is to me. He’s standing with his right arm up against the top of the doorframe, his towering build practically enveloping the entire doorway. It causes me to take a step back so I can admire all of him.

  Even though it still feels like it’s eighty-something degrees outside, he’s wearing jeans that spread across h
is thick thighs like they were tailored just for him. He’s paired it with a plain black tank top that does little to hide his sturdy, muscular frame.

  It’s his eyes, however, that truly catch my attention. They’re raking me over, his lower lip sucked between his teeth before he lets out a low whistle.

  “How can it be that, every time I see you, I want you more?” His voice is a low growl that shoots heat straight to my core.

  “I could ask you the same,” I reply, not even caring how breathless I sound.

  The words are barely out of my mouth before Knox presses his entire body against my own.

  His hand lifts my chin, his dark eyes gazing down at me. “I told myself I wouldn’t do this. I told myself I’d play it cool, take you out. Told myself I wouldn’t ruin your pretty makeup or fuck up those gorgeous lips. I usually listen to myself,” he says, using his thumb to run across my lower lip. “But fuckin’ hell, babe, then you opened the door, lookin’ like this perfect combination of sexy, sweet, and cute. Makes me want to do more than just kiss you right now.”

  My eyelids flutter because…yeah, I kind of want that, too.

  I must be an easy read. Knox softly beats his head on the wall behind me, groaning in the process.

  “Hell, she fucking wants it, too” he mutters to himself.

  My hands find his shirt and I bunch them into fists, gripping the material while staring up into desirous eyes. “Knox—”

  It’s all I get out before he hijacks my mouth in a desperate kiss.

  As quickly as it happened, he withdraws, tugging my hand and leading me out of the house to a beautiful red-and-white convertible that I know from experience has to be a classic Ford. I can’t believe I missed this beauty yesterday in the rain.

  As I’m admiring the car, I struggle to keep up with him. When we make it to the passenger’s-side door, he opens it, deposits me inside, ensures all my limbs are accounted for, then closes it.

  He leans down to the open window. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Where are you going?” I ask, scooting across the bench seat to the open driver’s-side window.